Rukawa's Seven Seal Sister
by jo-chan
Summary: An SD/X 1999 crossover that will surely blow your mind. An awakening of spiritual powers brings the most unlikely pair together. Enter Shohoku, Rukawa Kaede and Yuzuriha Nekoi, the step-sister of a Shohoku member. Please review and give this fic a chance.
1. Surprises

Rukawa's Seven Seal Sister  
  
Jo-chan  
  
Disclaimers: Slamdunk is created by Inoue Takehito and characters that would appear from X are all created by Clamp. I do not own these characters, standard disclaimers apply.  
  
*****  
  
Chapter 1- Surprises  
  
"Sumimasen!" chirped a lively female voice that startled Fujima out of his thoughts on new strategies.  
  
Fujima raised his head and whirled around to see a very pretty young lady with short hair, wearing an unfamiliar school uniform smiling at him. He was even more surprised to see a huge dog beside the girl, looking at him. He sweat-dropped a little as he smiled and said, "Hai, what can I do for you miss?"  
  
Yuzuriha Nekoi noticed the direction of his glance and her smile widened further. She knew it! After the war with the seven angels and the tragic victory of Kamui, a lot of people's spiritual powers were awakened when Kamui gave his wish! She had no idea that her step-brother's town had so many cute guys! "Ano, sumimasen but can you point me the direction of Shohoku?" asked Yuzuriha, her dimple appearing as she smiled at Fujima.  
  
Fujima felt a wretched blush creeping up his cheeks and he cleared his throat loudly as he said, "You'd have to get a train from here to go to Shohoku High School... I suppose I could guide you to it," hesitantly added Fujima.  
  
"Iie, I'll be fine! I have Inuki here to guide me!" answered Yuzuriha as she bent down to pat Inuki's head.  
  
Fujima smiled as he said, "You have a very good-looking dog, I guess you'll be fine then."  
  
"Mochiron!" agreed Yuzuriha with a giggle.  
  
Fujima reached out his hand and said, "My name is Fujima and I go to Shoyo. What's your name?"  
  
"Nekoi Yuzuriha! I used to live in Tokyo but I guess I needed to leave it behind now," said Yuzuriha as she shook Fujima's pro-offered hand.  
  
"Well, Shohoku is not nearly as dangerous as Tokyo has been these last few months but I would warn you about someone you might run into if you get to Shohoku..." stated Fujima, a sparkle of mischief appearing in his eyes.  
  
"Honto?" asked Yuzuriha, leaning closer as her eyes widened in curiosity.  
  
Fujima nodded wisely as he narrated, "First, there's a red-headed ape from Shohoku who goes around calling himself a genius. He's trailed by a four- man army who has a thing for cute girls like you..."  
  
"Cute?" gushed Yuzuriha as she blushed slightly.  
  
"-- and then there's also this narcoleptic icicle who goes around on his bike, likely to hit anyone in his way because he falls asleep at the most inconvenient time!" finished Fujima as he watched Yuzuriha's eyes sparkle.  
  
Yuzuriha stifled her laughter by clamping her hand over her mouth. "Wakarimashita! I'll know exactly what to do if ever I run into those plagues!" exclaimed Yuzuriha as she pivoted jauntily on her heel. She looked back at Fujima and gave a cheerful wave, "Arigato gozaimasau Fujima- kun! Bye bye!"  
  
Fujima could only wave back in reply as he watched Yuzuriha skip away.  
  
********  
  
"I can't believe you guys are giving me trouble again because of your grades!" thundered Akagi as he and his starting members walked over to the gym. It was well after dismissal but they were delayed from practice because of the conference Mitsui, Ryota, Sakuragi and Rukawa had to attend. Anzai Sensei had instructed him to act as the mediator between his teammates and the disgruntled professors.  
  
Mitsui shrugged while Ryota had the grace to look ashamed. Sakuragi was off in his dream world once again, paying absolutely no attention to Akagi's tirade as he day-dreamed about Haruko giving him lessons. Rukawa was walking slowly beside them, his lids half-closed. He suddenly tripped over a furry body standing directly in his way.  
  
"Hehehehe! Baka kitsune!" jeered Sakuragi as he laughed at a dot-eyed Rukawa sitting on the pavement who seemed to have tripped over nothing.  
  
Rukawa's eyes suddenly widened as Inuki padded over to him and began to calmly nuzzle against his face. "Masaka..." breathed Rukawa as his teammates had gone ahead, leaving him with Inuki. Slowly, he lifted his hand and began to scratch Inuki's ears. "What are you doing here?" he asked softly, oblivious to the weird looks some people were giving him as he patted Inuki. To people who had no spiritual power, Rukawa was sitting on the pavement, his hands in the air, muttering to himself. But for some people...  
  
"Rukawa!" called out Kogure as he ran over to the tall freshman. He stopped beside Inuki and patted the huge dog once on his head, startling the rookie. "Nice dog you have here... but I think you have to go inside now..." said Kogure, looking worried.  
  
*******  
  
When Rukawa stepped inside the gym, a shocked silence greeted him. His eyes followed the horrified direction of everyone's gazes and found himself staring at a girl seated on the hand rail some fifteen feet above the bleachers where the students can observe the game from the vantage point. Slim, white legs dangled carelessly over the air as her skirt moved in time whenever she swung her foot. The commanding Akagi's face was pale as all of them stared at the strange young lady.  
  
The girl's face was averted away from them as she was seemingly gazing off in space and the moment Rukawa entered the gym, the girl looked up to reveal an enchantingly pretty face. She smiled, showing even white teeth and called out in a clear sweet voice. "Kaede-ni!"  
  
The rapt eyes of everyone in the team slowly swiveled towards Rukawa stopped as if he ran into a brick wall. His normally stoic face froze as he stood there gaping at the girl he hasn't seen for seven years. His placid features slowly contorted into amazed fury in front of his team's fascinated gaze.  
  
"Yuzuriha?" exclaimed Rukawa, surprise and anger evident in his tone. Rukawa realized his tone and quickly said in a much calmer voice, "Get down from there brat," he ordered.  
  
Yuzuriha pouted, before she cast her eyes down. "All right!" she yelled before bracing both hands against the hand-rail. She was clearly going to jump down.  
  
"Yamero baka!" burst out Sakuragi as he ran forward to catch Yuzuriha who launched herself down quickly. Rukawa also ran forward but slowed down when he remembered his step-sister's special abilities.  
  
As light as a feather, Yuzuriha gracefully landed on her feet, hardly making a sound on the wooden floors. She didn't even seem bothered by the height and simply straightened her skirt. She smiled at a slack-jawed Sakuragi who stood next to her, his hands still outstretched to catch her fall. "Arigato gozaimasu, but catching me really wasn't necessary," she said with a huge smile. Mitsui, Ryota and Akagi stood around her, still wearing expressions of amazement. Yuzuriha sweat-dropped and turned pink in embarrassment. She muttered to herself, "Oh right, this is Kaede-ni's world." From the circle of his teammates, she saw Rukawa gazing at her with a forbidding expression. She gulped and faced the team.  
  
"Ano-- konnichiwa! Watashi wa Nekoi Yuzuriha! I'm Rukawa Kaede's stepsister from Tokyo," she greeted, bowing before the guys who stammered and said hello back.  
  
Everybody seemed to recover their voices at the same time. Ayako was waving her fan, grinning from ear to ear as she said, "Yosh! Yosh!" over and over again. Anzai Sensei resumed sipping his tea as the freshmen were all chattering excitedly over the information. Haruko, who was standing at the doorway in shock, regained her senses and hurried over to the young girl, she pushed her way past her brother and excitedly took Yuzuriha's hand.  
  
"I was so worried about you! I really thought you'd fall off and hurt yourself! I'm Akagi Haruko by the way and my brother is the team captain of this basketball team," gushed Haruko as Yuzuriha's eyes began to sparkle upon meeting a new friend.  
  
Yuzuriha began to shake Haruko's hand energetically and said, "It's so nice to meet you Haruko! Know what, I think we'll be good friends!"  
  
The Sakuragi army, also rushed forward to meet Rukawa's step-sister. All of them were wearing besotted expressions on their faces, save for Yohei who looked intrigued. Mitsui stepped forward, flashing a rare smile that revealed his good looks. "Hello there, I'm Hisashi Mitsui. I never knew Rukawa had such a pretty sister," said Mitsui, turning on his charm.  
  
"Oi, Mitsui, stop flirting, Tetsuo might get jealous!" teased Ryota as he flashed a friendly smile at Yuzuriha.  
  
"Oh, I'm not his sister-- I'm his stepsister. My dad married his mom seven years ago and there's really no blood connection between us," corrected Yuzuriha seriously. "Oi." Yuzuriha immediately looked over to Rukawa. "Nani Kaede-ni?"  
  
Rukawa rolled his eyes and cocked a finger at Yuzuriha. Yuzuriha frowned before she skipped over to his side. Rukawa looked at her from the corner of his eye and waited until Yuzuriha stood close to him. "Behave," he said quietly, drawing an angry red flush on Yuzuriha's cheeks. She turned to face him and hissed, "What exactly do you mean by that?!" "You know what I mean," answered Rukawa calmly, his blue eyes looking at the young girl intently.  
  
Yuzuriha looked at the avid faces of his teammates and huffed angrily. She folded her arms over her chest as she reluctantly said, "Fine." She scowled at Rukawa one last time before turning on her heel to walk out of the gym.  
  
"Where are you going?" asked Rukawa, his back turned.  
  
"Out to amuse myself. I don't know where our house is here so I'll just wait for you outside when your practice is done," answered Yuzuriha as she quickly walked out.  
  
******  
  
Yuzuriha had rounded the block and way already several meters away from Shohoku High when she leaned against a whitewashed wall. She touched her hot cheeks tentatively as she sagged against the cool surface. "I forgot how everything always feels strange..." she said aloud as she fanned herself with her hand.  
  
"What feels strange?" asked Haruko as she popped up beside the red-cheeked girl.  
  
"Oh! Haruko-san!" exclaimed Yuzuriha as she smiled automatically. She straightened her spine as she answered, "Um... well, being here sure feels strange." She began to walk with Haruko right beside her. They walked around in companionable silence, Haruko unaware that Inuki was trailing after them.  
  
"You know... I haven't seen Kaede-ni for seven years," shared Yuzuriha when they stopped in front of a sakura tree in the park.  
  
Surprised, Haruko could only say, "We never knew that Rukawa-kun had a step- sister... and a family for that matter."  
  
Yuzuriha shot a wry grin. "I'm not surprised. He's never really been the talkative type, perhaps more so now. And he did choose to be alone here...."  
  
"Where's your parents?" asked Haruko, eager to know more.  
  
"My mom died when I was 5 or so... and my dad left me with my grandmother who is the keeper of a shrine... when I was seven, my dad came back. He came back to introduce me to his new family. He married Rukawa Karen who had a nine year old son named Kaede," narrated Yuzuriha. "You know... the only time I ever spent with my dad's new family was a day. Kaede-ni and I were left in my step-mom's beach house as she and my dad cruised around..."  
  
"Hey there Ojou-chan...." said a rough male voice.  
  
Yuzuriha and Haruko turned around to see three burly men leering at them. It was already late afternoon and the sun was starting to set. Unknowingly, they had wandered too deeply into the park and into the wooded area. It was an isolated location.  
  
"You wanna have a little fun with me and my men?" asked the most muscle- packed guy from the group.  
  
"No," answered Yuzuriha, her eyes darkening dangerously. Beside her, Inuki growled. Haruko, who was terrified only stared at the goons.  
  
Yuzuriha grabbed Haruko's arm to lead her away and after taking a few steps, a meaty paw suddenly grabbed her shoulder, making her lose her grip on Haruko.  
  
"Don't turn your back on me while I'm talking to you!" snarled one of the men.  
  
"Don't touch me!" said Yuzuriha between gritted teeth as she moved in a blur as she kicked the man holding her in his kneecap.  
  
"Get her!"  
  
Inuki leapt up towards his Mistress a white light surrounding his body.  
  
"Yuzuriha-chan!" screamed Haruko as three men all converged at the same time on her young friend.  
  
Somewhere, a wolf howled as the sun set.  
  
TBC  
  
*****  
  
Author's Notes: Hey guys! Hope you like my new fic! I've fallen in love with Rukawa all over again and having also fallen in love recently with the X TV series, here's the fruit of my imagination: an SD/X crossover that's sure to rock your world! Please read and review, I gain confidence with each review passed. For comments and questions, email me at joan_g1014@yahoo.com. Stay tuned for more. 


	2. Memories of Childhood

Chapter 2- Memories of Childhood  
  
*****  
  
Even as Rukawa dribbled the ball with expertise and precision, he was clearly abstracted. Kogure glanced at the rookie out of the corner of his eye with a worried expression on his face. Ryota on the other hand, had more competitive ideas...  
  
Quick as lightning, Ryota cut in and stole the ball. He began to run and quickly bounce-passed the ball to a chortling Hanamichi. "Hahahahaha! See the power of tensai Sakuragi!" exclaimed Sakuragi as he neared the paint.  
  
"Oi Hanamichi, don't waste my excellent steal!" instructed Ryota as Rukawa quickly overtook the under-sized point-guard and put a man-to-man defense on the red-head.  
  
"Che," cursed Rukawa under his breath. He couldn't seem to concentrate on the game... his thoughts were of Yuzuriha, who had so unexpectedly come back into his life. He remembered what his step-father, Nekoi Reisui would say, even about his own daughter.  
  
The child is a freak of nature destined to die young...  
  
"Hahahahahahahaha! Oi Kitsune, you never told me you had a sister! I smell something illicit..." brayed Sakuragi as he turned, trying to evade Rukawa's defense.  
  
"Teme. Do you even know what illicit means, do ahou?" asked Rukawa, making a vein of anger bulge out from Sakuragi's head. Once distracted, Rukawa easily swiped the ball from Hanamichi and began to run, nimbly evading Ryota's defense and Kogure's attempt to stop him. "Kora Rukawa!" yelled Hanamichi was he sprinted to catch up.  
  
Rukawa paused, dribbling low and waited until Hanamichi was guarding him earnestly. Rukawa smirked before he faked with a cross-over dribble and took a fade away shot that immediately sank in the basket much to Sakuragi's ire.  
  
Ayako whistled as she clapped her hands. "That's it for today minna-san!" she said as she helped hand out towels. As she passed by Rukawa, she winked at him and said, "Maa maa Rukawa-kun, you were certainly distracted throughout the game. Your sister was very charming."  
  
Rukawa stonily said, "She's not my sister."  
  
"Ohohohohoho! Interesting," said Ayako as she went over to Ryota carrying a cold drink.  
  
******  
  
Rukawa was the first to go out, trying to avoid talking to his teammates who were asking him about Yuzuriha. He only changed his shirt and didn't bother to shower when he walked out the gym. He found Yuzuriha, with her back turned to the gym, gazing up at the full moon.  
  
"I had no idea you guys practiced so late," said Yuzuriha as a way of greeting as she turned to smile at Rukawa. Rukawa gazed at Yuzuriha's cheerful face and noted a slight darkness in her huge green eyes.  
  
Rukawa shrugged and slung his bag over his shoulder. He walked ahead as Yuzuriha skipped after him, her hand on Inuki's head. After a few blocks, Rukawa asked, "Where's your stuff?"  
  
Yuzuriha smiled and said, "It's with Haruko-san. We're grown rather close after this afternoon together."  
  
Rukawa nodded and took the direction towards the Akagi's house. After minutes of total silence, Yuzuriha released a pent-up breath. "Kaede-ni..."  
  
Rukawa interrupted and said, "Rukawa."  
  
With a hurt expression in her eyes, Yuzuriha stopped walking and asked, "You're ashamed to be my brother?" She bowed her head and Inuki whined.  
  
"We're here," said Rukawa quietly as they stopped in front of a modest house. Haruko, who was waiting by the window quickly opened the door and welcomed them in. This time, Haruko's eyes weren't glued to Rukawa but she welcomed Yuzuriha like a long-lost sister.  
  
"Yuzuriha-chan! I was so worried about you! I should have know better... here's your bags," said Haruko in a rush as she lugged three bags at the same time to dump them at the feet of the pair. Rukawa glanced at Haruko's apprehensive face and then at his step-sister's confident face.  
  
"Arigato gozaimasu Haruko-san! I told you not to worry, I can handle myself," said Yuzuriha with a cheerful laugh as she lifted one of the bags. She gave a start of surprise when Rukawa took the bag she was going to carry and took the two other bags easily. She smiled up at Rukawa. "Arigato Kae-- Rukawa," she said, correcting herself.  
  
Haruko observed it and smiled at Yuzuriha. "Would you like to stay for dinner then Rukawa-kun?" she asked, the blush returning to her cheeks.  
  
"Iie," answered Rukawa before Yuzuriha could open her mouth to speak.  
  
"Mou!" said Yuzuriha under her breath as she smiled apologetically at Haruko. Rukawa said nothing more as he turned around to walk out. Yuzuriha smiled and said, "Ja ne Haruko-san! Matta no ashita!" as she ran after Rukawa who was already out the gate before waving one last time at her new friend.  
  
Haruko watched after them, a smile on her lips and a worried expression in her eyes.  
  
*****  
  
Rukawa and Yuzuriha stopped in front of an automatic gate as they waited for it to open. It opened to reveal a huge mansion with a long brick driveway and manicured lawns. Inuki trotted after them, his tail wagging as Yuzuriha tried to keep up with Rukawa's long-legged pace.  
  
"Awesome place! I practically lived in the National Assembly when I was in Tokyo and Mitsumine Shrine is nothing like this!" she exclaimed as the front door was opened by a stern-looking butler.  
  
"Okaerinasai Rukawa-sama, Yuzuriha-sama," welcomed the butler as he bowed and ushered the two in.  
  
Yuzuriha smiled as she surveyed the opulent surroundings. She turned to the butler. "You knew I was coming?" she asked in delight as two servants took the bags Rukawa was carrying.  
  
"Hai Ojou-sama. Reisui-sama informed us that you would be staying with us for a duration of time..." answered the butler.  
  
"Did Otou-san leave any message? Will he be coming here for me?" asked Yuzuriha excitedly.  
  
"Iie. He left quickly when he dropped by to tell me. I think he's on his way to Hawaii while Karen-sama left for Paris. My name is Monfort Ojou- sama," replied the butler, watching Yuzuriha's face fall at his answer. Rukawa has already left Yuzuriha standing in the parlor and walked up to his room without a backward glance.  
  
"Mean!" exclaimed Yuzuriha as she stuck her tongue out at Rukawa's retreating back.  
  
Monfort chuckled as he led Yuzuriha up the sprawling carpeted stairway. "Rukawa-sama is not a very gentle person but he has a good heart. He's always been alone my lady, and it's hard for him to reveal his emotions because of that," explained Monfort as he took Yuzuriha to the Eastern wing of the mansion.  
  
He opened the door to the last room in the wing and revealed a peach and green colored room. "This is your room for your stay Yuzuriha-sama. I hope this is big enough for you."  
  
"Are you kidding? This is huge!" exclaimed Yuzuriha as she ran over to her bed and threw herself at it. She gave a groan of bliss when she discovered it was a water-bed. The emotional and physical stress of the day slowly faded away as she relaxed, closing her eyes. "Heaven..." she sighed as she closed her eyes and quickly drifted off to sleep.  
  
*****  
  
Haruko was sitting in a swivel chair, watching her brother lift weights with a pre-occupied frown on her face. After enduring minutes of silence, Akagi sighed asked his sister, "All right, what's wrong Haruko?"  
  
"Huh? Ummm, I was just thinking Onii-chan.." "You're surprised about Rukawa's sister right? We all were, we never expected someone like her..." "Well, yes, I suppose that's part of it," replied Haruko as she chewed thoughtfully on her lip.  
  
Akagi waited but Haruko said nothing more. He groaned and said, "All right, spit it out. Something happened right? Otou-san told me Rukawa and his sister dropped by earlier tonight."  
  
"Yuzuriha-chan and I were attacked in the park this afternoon," blurted out Haruko.  
  
"NANI?" roared Akagi as he dropped the weight and sat beside his sister. Anxiously, he scrutinized his sister. "Are you all right? Are you hurt? Who attacked you?" he asked.  
  
Haruko shot her brother an exasperated look. "Obviously, I'm quite all right. We were attacked by three men and to be honest, Yuzuriha-chan was the one they attacked..."  
  
Tense, Akagi asked, "Then what happened?" "... she fought back... with a sword..." "A sword?!"  
  
"Yes, there was a sudden flash of light and before the men could even step close enough to grab her, she was holding this strange-looking sword with tassels and a slim blade. The handle looked really amazing... but from the way she held it, you can say that she's an expert at it and I really don't know where the sword came from," answered Haruko. "She jumped away from me, it was really amazing and she landed several meters away, drawing the attention of the three men towards her. She jumps higher then Rukawa-kun or Sakuragi-kun, it was like she's flying on air, like the way she did this afternoon. The men were really mad and they all charged towards her..."  
  
Akagi put his head in his hand. "I don't believe this..."  
  
"She slashed her sword towards the men and a strong air current went out, knocking the men away so hard that they crashed against the tree. The sword never touched them but they were all knocked unconscious... and then there was this flash of light again and she suddenly said, 'Arigato Inuki,' as the sword disappeared."  
  
"My God..."  
  
"She smiled at me although there was something strange in her eyes... but who am I kidding? She's a very strange person with that power! But she saved me... at the cost of her own life..."  
  
Akagi flopped down on his bed as he thought about what his sister said. It was impossible and yet... given the strange aura he could sense from Rukawa's sister, what Haruko said can be remotely possible. He had read in certain books that there are some people gifted with high levels of spiritual power... he frowned as he recalled his substitute 5th grade teacher who once let him read one of her books.  
  
He opened his eyes to see Haruko wearing a very anxious expression on her face. He sat up and said gruffly, "Well, as Yuzuriha-chan's friend, the best thing you can do is accept her for what she is and keep her abilities a secret. She did a very brave thing and you were very brave too..."  
  
Haruko thought about it and she smiled. "Hai! I won't let her down Onii- chan!"  
  
"Good."  
  
"Ano-- I wonder, how did Yuzuriha-chan do all that?" mused Haruko aloud.  
  
"She has spiritual powers and if I'm not mistaken, a very high level of spiritual power," answered Akagi.  
  
"Oh that's right! She told me she grew up in a shrine!" enthused Haruko.  
  
"Well, there you have it," said Akagi a little grimly.  
  
******  
  
Fresh from the shower, Rukawa grabbed a sleeveless shirt and pulled it on. He was already wearing sweatpants and he didn't bother to comb his hair when he started downstairs. He came upon Monfort who was carrying a tray of food.  
  
"Oh! Rukawa-sama! Yuzuriha-sama wouldn't be able to join you for dinner, she fell asleep the moment she lay down. I'll just be taking her dinner up so that if she wakes if, she won't have to try and find the kitchen tonight," explained Monfort as Rukawa nodded.  
  
Rukawa sensed Inuki watching him and turned to find the holy dog following him. He sighed as he waited from Inuki to catch up with him. He gave an absent-minded scratch at Inuki's ears as he went towards the dining room with Yuzuriha's dog for company. As they were alone in the doorway, he asked the dog, "What are you two doing here?"  
  
Inuki gave a soft bark in reply as Rukawa sighed. Memories assailed him suddenly. He barely noticed Inuki guiding him to the dining room and prodding him to take a seat at the dining table. Mechanically, he began to eat his dinner as he immersed himself in memories of long-ago when he first met Nekoi Yuzuriha who he learned was his new step-sister.  
  
Flashback  
  
Nine-year old Rukawa didn't like the man his elegant mother seemed to love so much. Nekoi Reisui was smooth, urbane and is seen as a proficient businessman but there was something about him that Rukawa didn't like-- Reisui didn't like children. Months later, his mother who was divorced from his biological father marries Reisui. Reisui later reveals that he has a daughter from his first marriage, a seven year old girl named Yuzuriha who is now being raised by her grandmother in the Mitsumine Shrine.  
  
That summer, at his mother's summerhouse, Reisui came with his gawky daughter to introduce her to her 'new family'. With her over-large green eyes, short black hair and knobby knees and elbows, Rukawa almost completely ignored the girl until he realized that there was a gray dog that followed Yuzuriha everywhere, a dog that no one else seemed to notice.  
  
"Oi little girl," said 9 year old Rukawa as he held his ball with one hand, looking up at the girl who was sitting up in the tree. Those unforgettable green eyes focused on him and the girl smiled, her dimples showing through. "Nani?" Rukawa looked at the puppy up with her in the tree and said a bit hesitantly, "Would you like to play?" A luminous smile graced her young face and Yuzuriha nimbly jumped down from the tall tree, surprising Rukawa. She looked at him solemnly-- too solemn for her age and said, "Yes, I'd love to play with you!"  
  
From that day on, they played together. Whether it was basketball, or building sandcastles, or exploring the nearby areas of the mountain beside the sea, the two were never apart save when they sleep. Their parents never realized how attached the two were growing because Karen and Reisui had cruised around in a yacht. But Rukawa never told Yuzuriha know that he can see Inuki, but he listened to her tales carefully, realizing that this little girl had a destiny marked for her. But one day...  
  
Rukawa found Yuzuriha up in the tree, crying her heart out. He climbed up carefully and settled beside the little girl who was crying in Inuki's fur. Yuzuriha looked up when he sat beside her and he furrowed his brows as he asked, "What's wrong?" "-- I'm going back to my grandmother tomorrow..." said Yuzuriha between sobs. Rukawa sat, shocked. Inuki's dark eyes settled on him and seemed to convey that Yuzuriha's departure was necessary for the future. He took a deep breath, trying not to think of how lonely he had been before Yuzuriha and Inuki came as he reassured the girl, "Your place is with your grandmother from the very beginning and you are here only for this summer." "But everyone calls me a liar there! They don't believe that Inuki exists!" cried Yuzuriha. Not knowing why he did it, Rukawa placed his chubby hand over Yuzuriha's hand against Inuki's fur. His eyes then looked serious and intense (the eyes of an older Rukawa like in the anime) as he said, "I believe you Yuzuriha..."  
  
As he said it, he knew that Yuzuriha can now go back to Mitsumine Shrine. Yuzuriha was the type of person who can be brave even if only one person believed in her and since he believed in her... Rukawa swallowed as he thought of the dawn basketball practices he used to have with Inuki in the court even before Yuzuriha or the household wakes up. He recalled one time when while he was out biking with Yuzuriha, he fell asleep and Yuzuriha had to catch him before he crashed against a tree. But it was all for the best...  
  
Yuzuriha sniffled as she rubbed her hands against her wet cheeks. She looked up at Rukawa, who was quite tall for his age and suddenly threw her scrawny arms around him, knocking the both of them down the tree. But Inuki was ready and cushioned their fall. Surprised, Rukawa only gazed at the dark head nestled against his chest.  
  
"Arigato Kaede-ni..."  
  
The expression in her eyes were unforgettable. So much trust and affection and Rukawa could only smile. But then Reisui and Karen came upon the scene and saw Rukawa and Yuzuriha fall down the high tree and stand up without scratches or injuries. Karen's mouth was hanging open in shock while anger twisted the handsome features of Reisui's face. He marched towards the children and grabbed Yuzuriha's arm roughly, jerking her away from Rukawa.  
  
"You're going back to that cursed shrine tonight young lady," hissed Reisui as he dragged Yuzuriha away. "I won't let you hurt Karen's son! You don't belong here, to this family!" said Reisui angrily as Yuzuriha looked over her shoulder and saw Karen also reprimanding her son. Tears raced down Yuzuriha's cheeks as she looked at the tall but slightly pudgy figure of nine-year old Rukawa.  
  
Their eyes met for the last time, tear-filled green eyes and blue eyes that were getting icy-blue with each step Yuzuriha was taking farther away from him. Suddenly, a word entered Rukawa's mind as Yuzuriha was pushed into the car.  
  
/ Sayonara / It was the last time Rukawa saw his seven-year old stepsister.  
  
End of flashback  
  
Inuki whined the moment Rukawa fell asleep, his dinner not yet finished. Almost immediately, Rukawa started drooling, distorting his almost too handsome face into something endearing childlike and vulnerable. Inuki went over to Rukawa and placed his head against the basketball player's lap, an attempt to keep him warm as the moon rose higher above the sky.  
  
~* TBC  
  
******  
  
Disclaimers: Slamdunk is created by Inoue Takehito and characters that would appear from X are all created by Clamp. I do not own these characters, standard disclaimers apply.  
  
Author's Notes: Hope you guys liked this one and was able to understand Yuzuriha and Rukawa's history together. I sort of linked Rukawa's cold behavior to his background of always being left alone and having the only person he grew close to taken away. Thank you so much to reviewers, I certainly hope to keep this fic up if you keep it coming! More coming up about the triggered spiritual powers of everyone in Shohoku! 


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